Radiator protector



Patented Feb. 16,- 1943 umren STTES ATENT OFFICE RADIATOR PROTEG'IOR 7 John Muhr, Osborn, Ohio Applicationfianu'ary 28', 1939, Serial N0. 253,323 3 Claim. (o1. 160-122) This invention relates to a radiator protector and more particularly to a radiator protector that may be usecl as a bug screen in Summer and aS an adjustable radiator winter front in Winter.

An object of this invention is to provide an ad justable radiator Winter front and bug screen combination that is convenient, practical, efli' cient in controlling the motor temperature, that increases the efiioiency of the motor, that may be used to control the motor temperature at a pre-determined level anal that may be used to increase the temperature cf the'motor so as to provide a greater amount cf heat to be dis'si-f pated through the water heater for the benefit' 01 the occupants of the moter vehicle.

Another object of this invention is to provide a Winter front and bug screen combination that' may be installed behind the conventional exposed grill so as to close the radiator to any Dre-determined deree which Winter front is controllable from the instrument board.

Another object of this invention is to provlde a winter front and bug screen combination thati is easily manufactured, cheap, easy to install and which requires no servicing attention after' the original installation.

Other objects and aclvantages reside in the construction of parts.the combination thereof.

and the mode of operation, as will become moreapparent from the foilowing description. In the drawings Figure 1 discloses a front ele-. vational view of the winter front-lang screen assembly, with the bug screen overlying ap-i proximately half of the space between the reels' and the impervious shield ove'rlying the remaining distance between the reels.

Figure 2 is an enlarged cross Sectional view taken substantially on the line 22 of'Figure 1 With the screen removed. y

In the past, winter fronts have been applied to the outside of the grill. Such Winter fronts' clo not completely insulate the radiator and the motor against cold air blasts. After starting the motor, it may heat, requiring the driver to stop. and open the winter front. Furthermore, only' a portion of the conventional style Winter front is variable in area. That being the casei on milder days, too large a portin of the radiator may be insulated, resulting in the engine over.- heating.

Some makes of motor vehicles, such as Pack ard, La, Salle, Cadillac, et cetera, have been provided with thermostatically controlled shuttiars which close when the temperature of the radiator of the motor drops to a pre-determined temperture anal open when the temperature of the motor has increased to a pre-determined temperature This thermostatic control, which operates regardless of the outside temperature, allows no marginal control under cold weather conditions to allow for a higher motor temperature dissipated through the motor vehicle heater. Furthermore, the driver of a motor vehicle equipped with thermostatic control shutters cannot close the shutters when parking the motor vehicle, as the shutters will not close until the temperature of the motor and the radiator has dropped to a pre-determined temperature at which time the shutters are automaticetlly closed. That being the case, this type 01 automaticshutters permits the engine to cool very rapidly until the shutters are closed, thereby rapidly dissipating the heat from the motor and the radiator, irrespective of how desirable it may be to preserve the heat so as to keep the engine and the radiator warm over a long period of time.

Bug screens have been used in the past; but these have not been combined with a Winter front. Instead, it has been common practice to install the bug screen on the outside of the grill for summer use, when fall arrives remove the bug screen, and when 001d weather sets in mount the winter front on the outside of the grill. In many cases, both the bug screen and the Winter front detract from the appearance of the motor vehicle.

In the device disclosed herein an adjustable radiator Winter front and bug screen combination mounted as a unit for use in automobiles, trucks and busses offers to the motorist practical and efficient control over the motor tem perature, so as to obtain the greatest motor efficiency. Furthermore, this arrangerhent permits the generation of any suitable quantity of heat to be dissipated by the heater for the benefit of the occupants ot the motor vehicle. This adjustable Winter front and bug screen combination is mounted as a unit hetween the grill and the radiator. When it has once been installed it 1's not necessary remove -it in changing Irom winter to summer driving ancl vice versa. Mounting the winter front'and the bug screen combination between the grill am! the radiator dces not detract from the original appearance of the motor vehicle, in that the Winter front anal the bug screen are practically concealed or entirely concealed, as the casie may be, by

the grill of the motor vehicle. Duo to thefle x ibility and the ease of adjustment of the relative area. covered by the Winter front, the Winter Iront may be adjusted. While parking the motor vehicle to cover the entire radiator, thereby maintaining the cooling fluid in the radiator and. maintaining the engine at a higher temperature over a long period of time. When again starting the motor, it is merely necessary to open the Winter front to any desired level, depending upon weather conditions and the desires 011 the driver and the occupants of the motor vehicle.

Referring to the drawings, the reference character indicates a cylindrical mernber used. -as the main body portion of a reel o1 spool supporting the Winter front and bug screeh assembly. Metallic tubular members tapering at the outer end, are telescopically arrangecl with respect to the reel 5. There is one tubular member4 Tor each end of the reel. Member l shown'to the right of Figure 1 supports a pintle IQ, forming a journal for one end of the reel. Member shown t0 the left of .Figure 1 is provided witha dish-shaped abutment member 3, cooperating with the end of the reel to support a pin I. This pinl is normally urged outwardly by a spring 2 seated against a collar 2a on the p1'n .l. The reel may be mounted in position by the use of bearings, one for the pin l ancl one for the pintle I0. ment of the sleeves 4 with respect tothe cylindrical reel 5 permits axial adjustment, so that the same reel assembly Will accommodate.various widths of .radiators requiring corresponding widths of protection elements.

As may best be seen by referring t0 thebottom of Figure 1, instead of dish-shaped member 3a wooden block 21 may be used. Members 4 may be provided with a series of .apertures 26 for receiving suitable pins 01 studs 25, as best seen in Figure 2 for holding the reel assembly in any adjusted position. The stud maybe removed to permit adjustment of the telescopically arranged. members and v.reinserted When the members have been acljusted to the pr.oper position.

The upper reel 5, as shown in Figure lihas attached theret0 the waterproof winter front member I8. The end of this Winter front member 18 is positioned in the longitudinal groove in member 5 andheld in position by a wire-like locking member II. The lower reel 5 supports one end of the bug screen 21 partially rolled thereon. The free end of the Winter front I8 is attached to the free end of the screen 2I by a pluralityof springs2il. The free ends 0f members I3 and 2I are preferably provided With reenforcing'members 22 and 23. Metallic mombers 22 and 23 are substantially U-shapecl in cross sectional area, so asto form blghts clamping the ends 0f the members I8 and 2l.

It can be readily seen that the winter front and the screen may be acljusted .by rotatingin unison the upper and' lower reels 5, thereby unwinding one anti winding the other. By raising or lowering the winter front and the s creen, which are attached.end to end by the springs 2B, the rate of radiation or cooling of the water in the radiator may lne controlled.

A pair of pulleys 8, one for the upper member 4 and one for the lower member 4, are keyed thereto for rotation therewith. A cable I5 has one end fixedly attached 120 the lower pulley 8 and the other end fixedly attached to the upper pulley 8, so that as the bug screen is adjusted The telescopic arrangefrom one position to another by means oi a pulley 6 supporting a suitable cable 7, the cable I6 rotates the two pulleys in unison. This actuating mechanism is not described in detail for the reason that it per se does not form a part of the subject matter claimed in the appended claims.

Although the preferred modification of the device has been described, it will be understood that within the purview of 'this invention various changes may be made in the form, details, proportion and arrangement of parts, the combination thereof and mode of operation, which gc-nerally stated consists in a device capable of carrying out the objects set forth as disclosed and defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

l. An adjustable screen assembly adaptecl to be removably attached. to a mounting by the use of a pair of parallel rolls adjusted. in unison, each .of said rolls including the combination of a tubular body member having a pair of diametrically disposed apertures adjacent each end thereof With a pair of tubular end membersone 1or each end of the tubular body member, each of said end members being provided w'ith a plurality of apertures, a selected aperture in each end member registering with an adjacent aperture in the tubular body member the length of the roll depending upon which apertures are selected, means extending through said registering apertures to hold the end member in adjusted position With respect to the tubular body member, and a pair of pintles, one for each of. the end members, projecting beyond the end members, said pintles functioning as bearings Tor the roll 2. An adjustable screen .assembly adaptecl 'be removably attached to a mounting by the use of a pair of parallel rolls adjusted in unison, each of said rolls including the combination of a tubular body member having a pair 015 diametrically disposed apertures adjacent each end thereof with a pair of tubular end members one Tor each end of the tubular body member, each of said end members being provided With a pl1irality of .apertures, a selected aperture in .each end. mernber registering with an adjacent aperture in the tubular body .member, the length of the roll depending upon Which apertures are selected means extending through said registering apertures to hold the end .members in adjusted position With respect to the tubular body member, said end members terminating in a tapered frustum-conic'al portion provided with an aperture axially aligned. with respect to the longitudinal axis of the tubular body member, a pintle.fixedly secured to and projecting through the aperture in the end of one end member, and a spring actuated pintle adjustably mounted in the aperture 0f the other end member so as to provide an extendable and retractablelbearing, the efiective length of the rolls being adjustable by selecting another pair of apertures in one end. member for registering with the apertures in the tubular body member.

3. An adjustable screen assembly adapted to be removably attached to a mounting by the use of a, pair of parallel rolls adjusted. in unison. each of said rolls including a tubular body memher, a tubular end member acljustably mounted in telescopic relation with respect to the endnf the tubular body member, one of said members having an aperture, the other member having a plurality '0f apertures one of which registers 0er, each of said end members being provided with a tapered frustum-conical portion provided W5th a centrally disposed aperture aligned with respect 150 the longitudinal axis of the tubular body member, and pintles mounted in the apartures in the ends of seid end members functioning as Journals for the roll.

JOHN MUHR. 

